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North Carolina soil by county

Across North Carolina's mapped land, shrink-swell clay limits houses without basements on 5% and a shallow water table limits basements on 43%.

Highest clay shares: Durham County (43%), Guilford County (35%), Caswell County (35%), Granville County (26%), Cabarrus County (22%). Highest water-table shares: Martin County (96%), Columbus County (95%), Jones County (95%), Pender County (94%), Gates County (93%).

Data as of September 22, 2026 · 100 counties

Alamance County: 20%Alexander County: 0%Alleghany County: 0%Anson County: 15%Ashe County: 0%Avery County: 0%Beaufort County: 7%Bertie County: 14%Bladen County: 1%Brunswick County: 3%Buncombe County: 0%Burke County: 0%Cabarrus County: 22%Caldwell County: 0%Camden County: 0%Carteret County: 0%Caswell County: 35%Catawba County: 0%Chatham County: 14%Cherokee County: 0%Chowan County: 0%Clay County: 0%Cleveland County: 1%Columbus County: 6%Craven County: 9%Cumberland County: 0%Currituck County: 0%Dare County: 0%Davidson County: 16%Davie County: 15%Duplin County: 0%Durham County: 43%Edgecombe County: 1%Forsyth County: 2%Franklin County: 8%Gaston County: 3%Gates County: 0%Graham County: 0%Granville County: 26%Greene County: 0%Guilford County: 35%Halifax County: 1%Harnett County: 0%Haywood County: 1%Henderson County: 0%Hertford County: 20%Hoke County: 0%Hyde County: 1%Iredell County: 1%Jackson County: 0%Johnston County: 1%Jones County: 6%Lee County: 5%Lenoir County: 2%Lincoln County: 1%Macon County: 0%Madison County: 0%Martin County: 0%McDowell County: 0%Mecklenburg County: 16%Mitchell County: 0%Montgomery County: 4%Moore County: 1%Nash County: 1%New Hanover County: 6%Northampton County: 0%Onslow County: 2%Orange County: 16%Pamlico County: 2%Pasquotank County: 2%Pender County: 1%Perquimans County: 0%Person County: 18%Pitt County: 4%Polk County: 0%Randolph County: 14%Richmond County: 5%Robeson County: 0%Rockingham County: 2%Rowan County: 17%Rutherford County: 0%Sampson County: 0%Scotland County: 0%Stanly County: 4%Stokes County: 1%Surry County: 0%Swain County: 0%Transylvania County: 0%Tyrrell County: 0%Union County: 3%Vance County: 6%Wake County: 4%Warren County: 5%Washington County: 3%Watauga County: 0%Wayne County: 1%Wilkes County: 0%Wilson County: 0%Yadkin County: 1%Yancey County: 0%
Expansive clay: share of mapped land where shrink-swell clay limits houses without basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+
Alamance County: 24%Alexander County: 5%Alleghany County: 5%Anson County: 37%Ashe County: 4%Avery County: 4%Beaufort County: 83%Bertie County: 89%Bladen County: 88%Brunswick County: 89%Buncombe County: 4%Burke County: 2%Cabarrus County: 22%Caldwell County: 6%Camden County: 74%Carteret County: 45%Caswell County: 21%Catawba County: 9%Chatham County: 44%Cherokee County: 5%Chowan County: 62%Clay County: 4%Cleveland County: 7%Columbus County: 95%Craven County: 85%Cumberland County: 58%Currituck County: 52%Dare County: 28%Davidson County: 15%Davie County: 13%Duplin County: 92%Durham County: 56%Edgecombe County: 84%Forsyth County: 11%Franklin County: 21%Gaston County: 10%Gates County: 93%Graham County: 4%Granville County: 35%Greene County: 83%Guilford County: 9%Halifax County: 73%Harnett County: 62%Haywood County: 2%Henderson County: 10%Hertford County: 92%Hoke County: 45%Hyde County: 49%Iredell County: 9%Jackson County: 3%Johnston County: 74%Jones County: 95%Lee County: 38%Lenoir County: 88%Lincoln County: 9%Macon County: 3%Madison County: 2%Martin County: 96%McDowell County: 5%Mecklenburg County: 16%Mitchell County: 2%Montgomery County: 19%Moore County: 28%Nash County: 64%New Hanover County: 68%Northampton County: 86%Onslow County: 84%Orange County: 20%Pamlico County: 55%Pasquotank County: 76%Pender County: 94%Perquimans County: 72%Person County: 29%Pitt County: 88%Polk County: 6%Randolph County: 13%Richmond County: 23%Robeson County: 85%Rockingham County: 9%Rowan County: 15%Rutherford County: 8%Sampson County: 80%Scotland County: 69%Stanly County: 18%Stokes County: 7%Surry County: 4%Swain County: 1%Transylvania County: 6%Tyrrell County: 64%Union County: 28%Vance County: 10%Wake County: 32%Warren County: 13%Washington County: 80%Watauga County: 4%Wayne County: 70%Wilkes County: 6%Wilson County: 86%Yadkin County: 9%Yancey County: 3%
High water table: share of mapped land where a shallow water table limits basementsunder 10%10-25%25-40%40-60%60%+

Every county in North Carolina

Select a column heading to sort.
Alamance County 20% 24% 97% 81 1988
Alexander County 0% 5% 64% 2 1985
Alleghany County 0% 5% 100% 7 1980
Anson County 15% 37% 100% 1 1974
Ashe County 0% 4% 81% 91 1983
Avery County 0% 4% 0% 148 1985
Beaufort County 7% 83% 21% 1,500 1980
Bertie County 14% 89% 48% 175 1981
Bladen County 1% 88% 87% 149 1983
Brunswick County 3% 89% 95% 2,914 2002
Buncombe County 0% 4% 0% 681 1991
Burke County 0% 2% 0% 77 1980
Cabarrus County 22% 22% 48% 66 1997
Caldwell County 0% 6% 3% 36 1980
Camden County under 1% 74% 0% 109 1999
Carteret County 0% 45% 26% 2,738 1989
Caswell County 35% 21% 100% 0 1981
Catawba County under 1% 9% 52% 104 1985
Chatham County 14% 44% 72% 31 1998
Cherokee County 0% 5% 32% 13 1994
Chowan County 0% 62% 0% 35 1980
Clay County 0% 4% 26% 14 1990
Cleveland County 1% 7% 17% 15 1979
Columbus County 6% 95% 100% 503 1982
Craven County 9% 85% 47% 2,849 1989
Cumberland County under 1% 58% 17% 609 1988
Currituck County under 1% 52% 0% 802 1998
Dare County 0% 28% 0% 3,343 1988
Davidson County 16% 15% 38% 44 1985
Davie County 15% 13% 79% 5 1990
Duplin County 0% 92% 99% 383 1986
Durham County 43% 56% 100% 195 1993
Edgecombe County 1% 84% 100% 377 1978
Forsyth County 2% 11% 100% 107 1984
Franklin County 8% 21% 100% 2 1997
Gaston County 3% 10% 2% 40 1982
Gates County under 1% 93% 4% 16 1991
Graham County 0% 4% 22% 2 1989
Granville County 26% 35% 100% 6 1992
Greene County 0% 83% 100% 57 1984
Guilford County 35% 9% 100% 185 1987
Halifax County 1% 73% 100% 13 1979
Harnett County under 1% 62% 95% 87 1997
Haywood County 1% 2% 70% 427 1983
Henderson County under 1% 10% 54% 289 1990
Hertford County 20% 92% 77% 31 1978
Hoke County 0% 45% 35% 26 2000
Hyde County 1% 49% 0% 680 1981
Iredell County 1% 9% 40% 27 1997
Jackson County 0% 3% 100% 49 1990
Johnston County 1% 74% 100% 193 2000
Jones County 6% 95% 74% 120 1988
Lee County 5% 38% 100% 32 1988
Lenoir County 2% 88% 100% 437 1978
Lincoln County 1% 9% 43% 7 1994
Macon County 0% 3% 100% 29 1987
Madison County 0% 2% 0% 45 1987
Martin County under 1% 96% 60% 10 1975
McDowell County 0% 5% 0% 69 1984
Mecklenburg County 16% 16% 23% 447 1997
Mitchell County under 1% 2% 0% 17 1978
Montgomery County 4% 19% 100% 2 1984
Moore County 1% 28% 92% 123 1994
Nash County 1% 64% 100% 206 1986
New Hanover County 6% 68% 7% 2,252 1993
Northampton County under 1% 86% 100% 5 1981
Onslow County 2% 84% 58% 1,065 1998
Orange County 16% 20% 100% 304 1990
Pamlico County 2% 55% 0% 1,309 1988
Pasquotank County 2% 76% 0% 148 1988
Pender County 1% 94% 46% 1,520 1998
Perquimans County 0% 72% 0% 24 1991
Person County 18% 29% 100% 6 1983
Pitt County 4% 88% 100% 315 1994
Polk County under 1% 6% 13% 61 1984
Randolph County 14% 13% 26% 20 1985
Richmond County 5% 23% 97% 13 1976
Robeson County under 1% 85% 76% 1,266 1986
Rockingham County 2% 9% 100% 18 1978
Rowan County 17% 15% 9% 26 1983
Rutherford County under 1% 8% 0% 78 1981
Sampson County 0% 80% 89% 97 1988
Scotland County 0% 69% 48% 19 1982
Stanly County 4% 18% 100% 28 1976
Stokes County 1% 7% 100% 5 1983
Surry County under 1% 4% 100% 8 1979
Swain County 0% 1% 72% 25 1989
Transylvania County 0% 6% 100% 81 1984
Tyrrell County 0% 64% 0% 234 1979
Union County 3% 28% 100% 40 2000
Vance County 6% 10% 100% 3 1982
Wake County 4% 32% 100% 357 2000
Warren County 5% 13% 100% 0 1988
Washington County 3% 80% 0% 38 1975
Watauga County 0% 4% 34% 250 1988
Wayne County 1% 70% 100% 646 1984
Wilkes County 0% 6% 99% 14 1980
Wilson County under 1% 86% 100% 165 1986
Yadkin County 1% 9% 100% 1 1983
Yancey County 0% 3% 0% 90 1988

How these shares are counted

Shares are of mapped land in USDA's soil survey (SSURGO), weighted by each soil's share of every map unit. Drought is the US Drought Monitor's D1-or-worse share on the September 22, 2026 map. Flood losses are FEMA NFIP records since 2016. Sources and methods.